???: "How touching. If it were anyone else, I might have thought something was going on." The two froze while the four girls gasped, the voice coming off familiar to them. They slowly turned around and spotted... Him. A human man with semi-long white hair, wearing a faded red jacket. He had a sword sheathed on his back and two pistols resting in holsters on his thighs. He was one of the four that Qrow showed Summer and Spring from the picture of Team STRQ and Team CDSY. "What? Quit looking at me like I'm some kind of ghost. It hasn't been THAT long since we've last seen each other!"

Akito: "Y-You're back... Dante..."

(Dante Sparda)

Akito and Setsuna just stared in complete shock, by the man's sudden appearance. He looked at the two before sighing and shaking his head.

Dante: "Alright, alright. I know I was a bit of a dick for suddenly disappearing, but I have a perfectly good explanation for-" he was suddenly cut off as Spring and Autumn appeared and tackled the man into a hug, causing him to stumble back slightly.

Spring: "Daddy you're back!!"

Autumn: "I can't believe you're here! Holy shit, I'm not dreaming right!?" The white-haired man was a bit speechless, seeming to be honestly clueless on how to even address this. He looked to the others, only to see Winter and Summer appear next to Akito and Setsuna, all with a smile on their faces. He sighed, but laughed slightly and hugged the two girls back.

Dante: "Nah, this ain't a dream at all. I'm back. But Spring, do you really gotta call me that? You know I'm not..."

Spring: "I don't care!" He blinked as the green-haired girl looked up at him. "Daddy is daddy, even if we're not related by blood! Besides... I'd much rather you than it be that deadbeat that abandoned mom and us..." She said while looking off to the side with a bit of a bitter expression.

Dante: "So you kids know."

Summer: "Qrow told Spring and I. And we ended up with Akito and the others later that day."

Dante: "Tch, of course Qrow gotta yap his drunken ass off."

Akito: "Hey, at least now we kinda know what happened with Team CDSY. But that aside, where have you've been?" He asked, his voice softer than usual. "I looked everywhere for you. Been through hell and back just to find you again... I thought you were..." He looked down but felt a hand on his head. He raised his head again and saw that Dante was in front of him, a smile on his face.

Dante: "I've heard of what you've been through since I left and... I'm sorry. I truly am. As for your question... I had a mission by Oz. I heard you were in the headmaster's office when Qrow arrived here so you may have heard some things, but the best way to get the full answer is to ask ol' Oz himself. Considering you kids were his 'secret agents' for a while now, I believe he owes an explanation now."

Akito: "Mmm... Yeah... I agree that he does." He nodded and smiled. Dante merely grinned before he looked at the one who was the quietest here. Setsuna.

Dante: "You've got a lot on your mind, huh lil' wolf pup?" The white-haired female slowly nodded and looked off. He walked over to her and pulled her into a fatherly hug. "Well, I may not be good with words like Akito is, but he's right. We're here for you if you wanna talk about it. Just don't hesitate to ask."

Setsuna was silent... It was... like a year since he's heard her voice and hearing him speak to her in such a comforting manner was... odd but welcomed. She felt all of her worries slowly wash away as she closed her eyes and nuzzled into him.

Setsuna: "Thanks... papa..."

>>Chapter 26: Fall<<

Team RWBY and WOLF Dorms...

Yang: "You guys were called to Ozpin's office?" She asked as her and the rest of Team RWBY and Setsuna watched as Akito, along with his four sisters, were standing at the Dorm door, ready to leave.

Akito: "Yeah. I don't know what it's about, but it sounds important. Especially since he's requesting all 5 of us."

Weiss: "Huh... I wonder what this is gonna be all about..."

Ruby: "Maybe it's because of that whole Red thing Akito did with Exia in the tournament?"

Winter: "Well Ironwood's gonna be there so it very well could be..."

Setsuna: "But that doesn't explain why he needs the four of you there too." She said, looking at the four sisters who all looked at each other.

Akito: "But either way we'll find out soon enough. We'll be off for a bit. If you need us, call us." He said with a nod. He then watched as Blake walked up to him and kissed his cheek gently.

Blake: "Good luck." He smiled and nodded.

Akito: "I'll need it."

After saying their regards, Akito left the dorms, with his sisters disappearing back into his mindscape and began to make his way towards Beacon Tower. Upon entering the lobby however, he was surprised to see a fury of red hair in front of him, along with a familiar feminine figure.

Autumn: "Wait, is that Pyrrha??"

Akito: "Pyrrha?" The spartan turned around and looked in surprise.

Pyrrha: "Akito! What are you doing here?" She questioned as the male approached her.

Akito: "Ozpin called me here. I'm assuming he did the same to you?" He guessed and was proven right by the nod the green-eyed invincible girl gave. "Then let's head up together." With a smile, Pyrrha nodded. Together, the two friends entered the elevator and began to ride it up to the top.

Pyrrha: "By the way..." Akito looked at her. "Is Setsuna doing alright after the match?" He smiled and nodded at her.

Akito: "Yeah, she's doing better. She didn't say exactly what was causing her to act up that day, but I won't rush her. If she needs the time to herself, then I'll give it to her. But when she's ready, I'll be there for her." The red head smiled at his response but soon looked up.

Pyrrha: "I do hope she's alright. It takes a lot to scare her to that extent..."

Akito: "Yeah... I know..." he sighed.

Headmaster's Office...

Ozpin was standing at his window, looking out at the golden sky with a coffee mug in hand. He wasn't the only one here however as not only Qrow, but Dante was both in here as well.

Qrow: "You know, he's making you look like a fool."

Ozpin: "His heart is in the right place. He's just... misguided."

Dante: "Pfft, misguided? You even sure if he had a heart underneath all that damn metal?" He scoffed as Ozpin glanced back at him. Qrow then changed the topic.

Qrow: "So, have you chosen your 'Guardians' yet?"

Ozpin: "Maidens choose themselves. I simply believe I've found the right candidate. Ever since the day I met her, I had a feeling she would be the one. She's strong, intelligent, caring, but most importantly... she's ready, especially with him protecting her."

Just on cue, the elevator's ding was heard as it had stopped at the Office floor with its occupants inside. The doors opened, allowing Akito and Pyrrha to enter before they took a seat in front of the headmaster's desk, where Ozpin was now seated.

Ozpin: "Well, it comes as no surprise that they've chosen the both of you to move onto the final round of the tournament. Your performance has been exemplary."

Pyrrha: "Thank you Professor Ozpin, but I would never have made it this far without my teammates."

Akito: "Same for me. I only won that fight against Maya and Lapis cause I was dead set on keeping my promise to Blake... and also Exia helped me out."

Qrow: "Personally, I think it's the other way around for the both of you." The two teens suddenly stood up and turned around to see Qrow, leaning against a pillar.

Akito: "Qrow...?"

Pyrrha: "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been introduced."

Dante: "Oh don't mind that asshole. Best to just smile and nod at whatever he says." he said, coming out from behind a pillar as Qrow just glared at him. The two teens looked at him now.

Akito: "Dante?"

Pyrrha: "Who are these men?"

Ozpin: "Qrow and Dante are trusted colleagues of mine." He explained as the two looked back towards him.

Pyrrha: "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why have you called us here?"

Ozpin: "Please, take a seat, both of you." They complied with his request. "Oh, and the four of you can come out too." Pyrrha was confused as Ozpin stared at Akito. She looked at him, who sighed and closed his eyes, with his four sisters instantly coming out now.

Pyrrha: "W-What..."

Winter: "It's nice to finally meet you Pyrrha." She smiled at her as the four sisters bowed gently.

Pyrrha: "Um... It's wonderful to meet you four as well." She nodded before looking towards the black-haired Faunus. "Akito, are they...?"

Akito: "The four I kept referring to my sisters? Yep, that's them. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. And you don't have to worry about keeping this a secret from the rest of your team, Pyrrha. We don't mind them knowing." He smiled at her. The redhead blinked and looked at the four sisters again before she nodded and turned back to Ozpin. The four decided to conjure up their own seats and sat down behind the two teens, awaiting for Ozpin to continue.

Ozpin: "Tell me, what is your favorite fairy tale?" That question left the two teens, plus the four sisters confused.

Akito: "Uh... What?"

Pyrrha: "I'm... sorry?"

Ozpin: "Fairy tales; stories from childhood. Surely you must remember some of them."

Akito: "Well I never had much of one..." He mumbled, with Summer rubbing his back

Spring: "Oh! I know!" She raised her hand as Ozpin nodded towards her. "Well, there's The Tale of the Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea..."

Winter: "There's the story of The Grimm Child and the Stray Wolf..."

Pyrrha: "There's also The Girl in the Tower..."

Ozpin: "What about The Story of the Seasons?"

Pyrrha: "Well of course! A callous old man, who refuses to leave his home is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use the time in solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden."

Autumn: "The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth and final sister begs him to look at all he has and be thankful. In return for their kindness, the man grants the Maidens incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world."

Summer: "They graciously accept and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant 'til the end of days."

Winter: "Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall; The Four Maidens. According to what Qrow said, Mom named me and my sisters after the Four Maidens." She said with a gentle smile

Ozpin: "Would you believe me if I told you that one's been around since I was a boy?"

Pyrrha: *chuckles* "You're not that old Professor."

Akito: "Um... With all respect, what does that have to do with anything?"

Ozpin: "Patience Akito." He briefly held up his hand. "Would you both believe me if I told you it was true?"

Pyrrha: "I... beg your pardon?"

Ozpin: "What if I told you that there were four Maidens existing in this world that could wield such tremendous power, without Dust?"

Pyrrha: "You mean like... a Semblance?"

Ozpin: "Like Magic."

Spring: "Magic...?"

Pyrrha: "I..."

Akito: "Surely, you're fucking around with us. There's no such thing as Magic. Everyone knows that."

Qrow: "Yeah, first time hearing this, it's pretty crazy." He commented, causing Pyrrha to take a slight double take.

Ozpin: "And on top of that..." They looked at him again. "What if I told you... that the manifestations of the Four Original Maidens are standing in this room with us, right... now."

Akito: "W-What are you..." He paused as the sudden realization hit him, with Pyrrha instantly understanding too. Their eyes widened collectively as they looked at Ozpin, who just nodded with a smile. Slowly, they all turned to look at the 4 sisters, who all looked a bit confused and glanced at each other.

Summer: "U-Um...?"

Spring: "Why is everyone looking at us?"

Winter: "You don't mean to say... that We are the manifestations of the original Maidens?" She asked the question that everyone was hoping to be answered. And Ozpin answered, with a simple nod. Autumn instantly stood up in shock.

Autumn: "What... the hell!? B-But how is that even possible?"

Summer: "Is it because of that whole... Magic thing again?"

Ozpin: "Your guess is as good as mine. But that would explain some things."

Akito: "Like what exactly?"

Ozpin: "'The Wolf of the White Fang has been seen with the ability to shoot flames and freeze objects from time to time' Does that ring a bell?" He looked at Akito, who's eyes widened. He had a flashback to his fight with Mercury in Glynda's class. Just at the last second before Mercury forfeited, his blade was coated in ice.

Akito: "You mean... The reason I've been able to do those kinds of things randomly... was due to the Magic from my sisters?"

Ozpin: "Indeed, Akito. Hence why the five of you,  are very special."

While Akito was more or less just stun locked into shock, Winter was trying to process everything and make sense out of it. Autumn was having trouble as she was rubbing her head while Summer was still a bit on the fence about all of this. As for Spring however, she suddenly had a huge burst of excitement.

Spring: "That's... so... COOL!! We can help Big Bro fight!!"

Akito: "Alright... say that this is all true and everything. Why tell us now? Shouldn't you have told us the moment we enrolled here? It would have helped a lot during certain battles like the battle at the Breech." The headmaster fell silent and glanced down at his coffee mug.

Ozpin: "Because... if I had told you early and you began to take advantage of those new found powers of yours, then she would find all of you." They fell silent, feeling a chill go up their spines.

Winter: "S-She...?"

Ozpin: "Salem... the force that we're currently working to fight against and the one who controls the Grimm." He spoke. That bombshell shocked all of the teens into complete silence. Never had they thought that the Creatures of Grimm had a master.

Autumn: "You're shitting us..."

Dante: "He ain't lying. I've personally seen the shit that crazy woman's made and she is the definition of what the Grimm feeds off of." He said, his arms crossed.

Akito: "Fear..." He concluded, to which Ozpin nodded.

Ozpin: "It is as Dante says... I know it was wrong of me to keep this all important and life-changing information from you for this long, but with how many infiltrators Salem had in Vale, I couldn't risk it... I couldn't risk losing my dear children to her again..." Yet another bombshell that took them all by surprise. 

Summer: "W-Wait, did you just call us..." With a nod, Ozpin slowly stood up and began to pace around slowly. 

Ozpin: "I've made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this planet..." he slowly stopped and looked at the five, with a look that only a father could give his children. "However... in all of my years of making mistake after mistake... the one thing I've never been prouder of... was the five of you, my dear children."

This... was a shocking moment for the 5 teens. Having everything be revealed to them like this... was a lot. It was almost hard to believe but seeing the sincere expression on Ozpin's face... it was almost impossible to NOT believe. Pyrrha, who had been mostly silent, decided to speak up, to give Akito and the other girls time to process this info drop.

Pyrrha: "So are you saying that you are Akito and his sisters' true father, Professor Ozpin?"

Ozpin: "Yes, Ms. Nikos." he confirmed with a nod. "I had originally thought that they had perished long ago due to an accident... I was devastated, feeling as if I failed to protect my own young... but then I heard from Claret about her pregnancy."

Summer: "D-Did she know...?"

Ozpin: "Yes, she did. When she told me that she could feel not only you and Mio, but 4 other little souls inside of you, that's when she knew and called me."

Akito: "Then why..." His tone was low and slightly wavering as he slammed his fist on the table. "Why did you keep us in the dark about this!? All my life I thought my dad was just some stupid deadbeat fucker that abandoned us. Yet our real dad was right in front of us this entire time! Why didn't you tell us something this important!?" he demanded to know, his amber eyes glowing red from his rising anger. But upon feeling Winter's hand on his back, Spring's embrace from his left side and Pyrrha's hand on his right shoulder, he slowly began to calm down, his eyes going back to normal. Ozpin was silent and glanced downwards. He understood Akito's anger. He had every right to be angry at him. After all, he withheld such important information from him.

Ozpin: "... Because If Salem was to learn of your existences, then she'll stop at nothing to claim all 5 of you for herself by force, even if it means hurting those that you all care about. And that's nothing none of us wants. It was... ultimately for your protection. I'm sorry if this makes you all hold distain towards me, but I understand."

Silence overtook the room again, along with wavering emotions. Some were confused, others were distraught. Ozpin sighed as he aimed to get the conversation back on track.

Ozpin: "I will explain more later, on personal terms. But for now, back to why you are here, Ms. Nikos." he turned towards the redhead, who was still trying to process all of this information. "We are telling you all of this, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden powers." Pyrrha was taken by surprise, but also seemed a bit worried. He then looked towards Akito. "And Akito, my son..." The black-haired wolf slowly looked up at him. "... are ready to become the Guardian of the Maidens."

Autumn: "The... Fall Maiden Powers..."

Summer: "Guardian of the Maidens..."

Pyrrha: "And what do you mean by 'we'?" Just at that moment, the elevator doors opened, startling the teens and revealing Glynda and Ironwood, who both stepped into the office.

Ironwood: "Sorry we're late." Now Pyrrha was the one to stand up suddenly, from feeling overwhelmed and a bit suspicious of the adults in the room.

Pyrrha: "Wait what is this? Who are you?"

Glynda: "You know who we are. We're the same teachers and Headmasters you both met when you arrived at Beacon."

Qrow: "But we've got a little part-time job."

Dante: "As cheesy as it sounds, we are the protectors of the world."

Ozpin: "And we need your help, the both of you." He said, specifically looking at Pyrrha and Akito who both shared a wary glance with each other.

>Time Skip<

While his sisters returned into his head, Akito and Pyrrha both stood side by side in the elevator, surrounded by the 5 adults as they were descending lower than even the lobby itself, underneath the school. They were silent for the most part, as they were feeling a bit overwhelmed by this sudden responsibility pushed onto their shoulders.

Pyrrha: "Where are we going?"

Ozpin: "The Vault, under the school."

Summer: "There's a Vault under the school...? Do all the other Huntsman Academies have Vaults under them?" Pyrrha was silent as she was looking at her linked fingers, but looked over to her friend, who's been the quietest she's ever seen him.

Pyrrha: "How are you feeling?" She whispered into his ear. All he did was sigh and shake his head. Pyrrha understood. All of that information was bound to leave him speechless, especially since it considered things as important such as his own biological father. She gently leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "It's alright... I'll be here... We all will..."

Akito: "... Thanks..."

Finally, the elevator came to a halt, triggering the doors to open to reveal a dark hallway only lit by green lights. As everyone stepped out of it, Akito and Pyrrha hung behind, taking in the scenery but Glynda walked up to them.

Glynda: "I'm sure all of you must have some questions."

Pyrrha: "Maybe one, or two..." She muttered as they continued forwards.

Winter: "There is something I don't understand..." She said as she appeared next to them. "What did Ozpin.... Um... dad mean by Pyrrha's next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers?"

Glynda: "The Maidens have existed for thousands of years, but much like nature, the seasons change. No two summers are alike. When a Maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost, and that no individual can hold on to that power forever."

Pyrrha: "So, how does the power choose?"

Qrow: "Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules."

Glynda: "Qrow." She glared at him.

Dante: "He ain't wrong. It's a shitty system and you know it."

Qrow: "See, even this asshole agrees so don't get mad cause I'm right!" The blonde woman merely sighed and looked back at the teenagers.

Glynda: "At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed on to young women, but as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was much more... intimate."

Akito: "Intimate...? How so?"

Glynda: "As we understand it now, when a Maiden dies, the one who is in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power."

Dante: "Unless it's some dude or some old hag, then the power goes to someone random and our job gets a lot harder for no fucking reason."

Glynda: "Watch your language, Dante." She scolded, to which the male just rolled his eyes.

Pyrrha: "Why are you telling us this now? Why not wait until we've graduated?"

Qrow: "Honestly, we've run out of time. I don't know you've noticed, but things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. Tensions are high, Grimm are growing stronger, more prevalent. And it's not going to be long before the peace we've been enjoying for so long goes out the window."

Pyrrha: "You're not... talking about war?"

Ironwood: "Not a war between nations."

Akito: "I'm assuming a war with... Salem, correct?" There was a brief silence, causing the male to clutch his fists before Qrow spoke up.

Qrow: "We can fill you both in on the details once we know that you're with us. For now, all you need to know is that one of the Maidens has been attacked, and for the first time in history, part of her power stolen.

As they came to a halt, they heard the sound of running electricity. Looking forward, there was a large machine with two rectangular pods connected to it, one of which is raised up and has a young woman in it. She had brown hair, was dressed in very minimal clothing and had a large burn scar over her left eye.

Pyrrha: "Is that..." She mumbled as Autumn appeared and slowly approached.

Autumn: "The... Fall Maiden...?"

Ozpin: "Yes. Her name is Amber."

Winter: "She's still... alive..."

Ironwood: "For now. We're using state of the art Atlas technology to keep her stable, but there is a lot about this situation that is... unprecedented."

Pyrrha: "What do you mean?" All Ironwood answered with was a sigh. "Won't... her power... just transfer to the next host?"

Qrow: "Look who's been listening! *to Ozpin* She IS smart."

Ironwood: "Under normal circumstances, yes."

Akito: "...But let me guess... This isn't a normal circumstance..."

Ironwood: "Affirmative; in fact, it's a delicate situation. It's not uncommon for the last thoughts of the slain to be their attacker. And to make matters worse, no one's seen the power split like this before. For all we know, it will seek out its other half."

Autumn: "...Her assailant..."

Winter: "They did this knowing full well that her powers would be transferred to themselves if they killed her..."

Ozpin: "And that would not bode well for any of us."

Autumn slowly stopped in front of Amber's pod, with her slowly reaching out, imitating the action of her touching her cheek by touching the glass of her pod. But the moment she did, her eyes widened as she yelled out and clutched onto head, with her heart beating quickly as magic began to pulse from her body.

Winter: "Autumn!" She quickly ran over to her younger sister as she fell back into her embrace while Akito and Pyrrha watched with his eyes widened.

Autumn: "I... I can feel it... H-Her... Autumn's life... it's slowly slipping away... She doesn't have too long!" She said as the Magic pulsing from her began to slowly calm down.

Dante: "What's happening to her, Oz?" He asked, with him cracking his knuckles slightly.

Ozpin: "What I can only assume is due to her being the reincarnation of the original Fall Maiden, Autumn can feel the life force of Amber. If it's like this for Fall, that means the other three sisters may be able to sense the life forces of the other three Maidens and in turn, determine their location... However..." He looked at Pyrrha, who had quickly clenched her fists and faced the teachers, a bit agitated now.

Pyrrha: "If all of this is true, why keep it a secret!? If this girl is so important... if we're truly on the brink of war, why not tell everyone!?"

Glynda: "From what we understand, it used to be common knowledge."

Akito: "What...?" He looked at her while Qrow took out his flask.

Qrow: "How do you think legends and fairytales get started? Even the craziest ones come from somewhere." he said before taking a swig.

Dante: "The group you see right now was founded in order to protect both mankind and the Maidens. On the contrary, those hungry for power hunted them with the hope of inheriting their strength."

Qrow: "And as you can imagine, the ones that succeeded weren't exactly the one's you'd want to have unimaginable power."

Glynda: "And so, our brotherhood chose to remove the Maidens from the public eye, allowing their existence to fade away into legend. The things we're telling you go against hundreds of years of human history and religion."

Ironwood: "No one would want to believe us. It would cause an uproar."

Ozpin: "It would cause panic and we all know what that would bring clawing at our Kingdom's walls; which is why we would like to..."

Pyrrha: "I'll do it..." Everyone fell silent as they all stared at Pyrrha, with Akito looking surprised. "If you believe that this would help humanity... then I will become your Fall Maiden. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Akito: "Pyrrha, do you hear yourself right now!? You want to take up such a heavy responsibility?? Doing that will make you a target to the bitch that attacked her and put not only you but your entire team in danger!" The Redhead was about to respond, but her voice never came as she gritted her teeth.

Pyrrha: "I..."

Ozpin: "Pyrrha." The redhead looked at him. "I'm afraid it isn't that simple. Given Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally. However, General Ironwood believes he has a solution."

Akito: "And what possible solution could the tin man come up with for a situation like this?" He asked, his frustration starting to show.

Winter: "Big Bro..."

Ironwood: "It's quite alright." he said towards the eldest of the Maiden Sisters before he looked back towards Akito and Pyrrha. "For the past few years, Atlas has been studying Aura from a more scientific standpoint; how it works, what it's made of, how it can be used. We've made... significant strides. And we believe we've found a way to capture it."

Qrow: "Capture it and cram it into something else. Or in your case..." He gestured towards the invincible girl.

Pyrrha: "That's..."

Ironwood: "Classified."

Pyrrha: "...Wrong!"

Glynda: "The feeling is mutual." She said with a slight glare towards the general before sighing. "But desperate times call for desperate measures..."

Ironwood: "And there are indeed desperate times. We can't transfer Amber's power directly to you, but we can give you what those powers are bound to."

Pyrrha and Akito: "...Her Aura..."

Ozpin: "Her life would become intertwined with yours. The question is..."

Dante: "What's that going to do to you?"

Autumn: "At that rate, anything could happen." They all looked towards the red-head as she paced back and forth, trying to process this all. "For all we know, both you and Amber's spirits could exist at the same time, both able to take control over your body at any time, or they could merge together, turning you into a completely different person. Or..." Winter ended her pacing by touching her shoulder.

Winter: "Or... give you a similar situation to us." She said, making a slight gesture to herself, her sister and Akito. Hearing all of those possibilities didn't help calm Pyrrha's nerves, but she did picture what all of those would like. But if she had to choose one she wouldn't want, it would be the second one. She still wanted to remain herself in the end, to remain Pyrrha Nikos.

Ozpin: "You have an important decision before you Ms. Nikos. There's no guarantee this transfer will work, and there's no telling if you will be the same person if it does. I advise you to take time on this matter. But understand that before the Vytal Festival is over, we will need your answer." The redhead remained silent. "And Akito... my son. I know how things look... but... I chose to tell you and your sisters all of this now because... I truly believe you're all ready to take this head on. If Pyrrha chooses to go through with the transfer, you will need to become her and the other Maiden's Guardian, fighting by their side and making sure that no one can steal their powers from them. I know it's a daunting task, but with your Exia and the Magic you and your sisters inherit from me, you are the only candidate for this."

There was only silence from the two teens as they were going through their thoughts. All of this sudden information was... a lot for them to take in. And with the finals of the Tournament approaching fast and with them being the ones to represent their respective teams, a lot of pressure was now on their shoulders.

Some time had went by and everyone had went their separate ways. Pyrrha went back to her Team's Dorm to try and sleep on this topic while Akito... well, he couldn't sleep even if he wanted to. He was just too hung up about all the information about his liniage that Ozpin told him. He couldn't just sleep on this... he needed more answers, now.

Ozpin sat at his office desk as usual, monitoring some things on the screen on his desk before he heard the ding of the elevator. He had a feeling he knew who it was coming to see him so late at night.

Ozpin: "Akito." With the doors sliding open, the Wolf Faunus stepped in, his four sisters instantly materializing around him as they also couldn't sleep from the info dump.

Akito: "I'm sure you're well aware of what we're here for." He spoke in a bit of a cold tone, with Spring and Summer rubbing his shoulders to keep him as calm as he could be. It did hurt the old man to hear his own son talk to him in such a manner, but he understood why he'd be upset.

Ozpin: "Of course. Please, take a seat and ask your questions. I'll answer them all."

Akito: "No lies." He stated firmly. The gray-haired man bit his tongue slightly but nodded.

Ozpin: "No lies."

With a small gesture with his head, the four sisters stepped forwards, conjuring up their seats as Akito stood behind them, his arms crossed, just waiting and listening now.

Winter: "So... everything you said earlier, about you being our true biological father... That was all true?"

Ozpin: "Yes, Winter. You all are indeed my biological children. You all were from the very beginning. While, I may not know of how exactly Clarent ended up giving birth to the five of you, alongside her own child, I'd say it was nothing short of a miracle."

Autumn: "Then if that's true, that you are our true father, then what about our mother? We had to have one right? Cause I seriously doubt you'd go around, knocking up Claret so that she'd have us..."

Summer: "A-Autumn, wording!" She scolded, a bright blush on her cheeks as Ozpin just chuckled and waved his hand gently, telling the second eldest sister that it was alright.

Ozpin: "You are right, Autumn. You had a true biological mother, that isn't Claret."

Akito: "You said 'had'." He pointed out. Ozpin fell a bit silent, as if contemplating whether or not to tell them, but decided in the end to let them know.

Ozpin: "I did... Because in the same accident that took the five of you, your mother sadly passed away. Our house was attacked by some powerful forces, seeking nothing but destruction. They ended up succeeding in the end as when I had found you all, your mother was dead, lying on top of you all doing everything she could to protect you. However, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter were already dead. As for you Akito, well... you were the only one semi-alive, but soon, you'd join your sisters and mother, succumbing to your injuries while in my arms." The five teens fell silent, taking in the moment to process the information. Spring covered her mouth as she nearly ended up throwing up, at the mere thought of dying  as Summer rubbed her back to comfort her. Autumn gritted her teeth and clenched her fists shut while Winter lowered her head. Akito however was just facing away from them. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you all back then..."

Ozpin slowly lowered his head, feeling the guilt in his heart rising to the surface. However, what he wouldn't expect was to feel a sudden warmth on his left. He was surprised to see that Spring had gotten up and hugged his side but she wasn't the only one as eventually, Summer, Autumn and Winter would join her in embracing their father.

Spring: "Don't be sorry, daddy... You did everything you could."

Summer: "Yeah, don't blame yourself. I couldn't possibly imagine how difficult it was for you to hold all of this in for... how many year now."

Autumn: "But we're here with you now, pops. We're just really glad to finally meet our father."

Winter: "Right. We are very, very honored to have a father as caring as you are. Even if you held all of this information from us, it was for our own benifit in the end, and we really appreciaite it. Right, Akito?" All eyes landed on the Wolf Faunus who hadn' said anything, nor was even looking at them. Ozpin expected this. He knew his son would be the most conflicted about this and that was perfectly fine. he had every right to be upset at him after all as his entire life was essentially uprooted by all this information.

Akito: "You know... I always wondered why I was so gifted from my birth... Having four adorable sisters who practically share the same body and mind as I do... The random ability to wield elements from time to time, despite me not even having my Semblance unlocked. Now it all makes sense... You may have hid so much from us... from me..." He slowly turned around and looked at his father, however, with small tears in the corners of his eyes as his ears were flattened, but he held a smile. "But... I just couldn't be happier to finally meet you, dad."

Ozpin was surprised for a moment as Akito walked over and hugged him. The four sisters smiled and tightened their embraces. Ozpin soon slowly hugged them back, with him closing his eyes, a peaceful smile on his face. However, even then, on the inside, there were still many conflicting thoughts...

Ozpin: "Thank you, my children..."

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Next Chapter: The Beginning of the End

Port: "It looks like our first contender is... Penny Polendina from Atlas... and her opponent will be... Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon!" Upon hearing the announcement, Ruby's eyes widened in shock and fear.

Ace: "What's wrong, Rubes??"

Mercury: "Ooh, Polarity versus Metal. That could be bad." He said with a growing smirk